


Take my bow

by orphan_account



Series: Take my bow [1]
Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Family, Angst, M/M, Self Confidence Issues, Unrequited Love, teenagers are drama queens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-20
Updated: 2014-06-05
Packaged: 2017-11-26 03:23:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/646026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ori is the company's child. He knows that's how they all see him and he could live with it, but why do they have to treat Kili, who is more childish than he has ever been, like an adult? But of course Ori is too well behaved to complain. Until the day he can't stand it anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ori was more than aware that the entire company saw him as a child. They did nothing to hide it after all. They did not even let him take a watch at nights, because they said he had to sleep. Even the _hobbit_ was allowed to participate to the group's life more than him.

It was made all the more unfair by the fact that Kili, who was barely a couple years older than him, was treated as an adult, even though he didn't have a full beard and was a skinny, ugly elfish little thing who used a stupid bow.

And he was so _childish_ too, and had no sense of propriety nor of physical boundaries. He kept touching and hugging everyone, even Ori. The young scholar had tried to explain that he didn't like that and was the sort of dwarf who would only consider physical contact of any sort with a partner, but Nori had told him he was ridiculous and that he needed to loosen up a bit, that the prince meant nothing by it. _Of course_ he meant nothing by it, Ori knew that, but it didn't make it any less annoying.

Worse still, the young prince was never serious, always smiling and laughing and joking and making fun of someone, as if he didn't realize the full seriousness of their quest. As if there was anything funny about what they were doing. As if Ori too wouldn't have liked to have someone to laugh with, if he had had a chance, instead of having two brothers treating him like a baby and watching him all the time to make sure he didn't bother anyone.

So what if maybe Ori was a tiny bit jealous of Kili? That damn prince had everything he had ever wanted, and was everything his brothers would have wanted him to be, and everyone forgave him everything he did.

Like that business with the trolls. It was the _princes'_ fault if they had almost died. They had told the hobbit to go and free the ponies, even though he was small and unharmed and they all knew he wasn't a fighter, nor even a burglar for that matter. But Fili and Kili had told him to go after trolls. And, sure, they uncle had told them to think a bit more next time, but that had been it. Ori was sure if he had done anything like that, they would have sent him home without an afterthought. But no, not _them_. They were _princes_. Nothing they did was ever wrong, was it?

 

* * *

 

And then, after the trolls, there had been orcs. And with these, Ori had been sure he finally had a chance to prove he was good enough to be part of the company. Or so he had thought. As it turned out, while his aim was excellent, it took more than a slingshot to kill a warg. He had been utterly useless.

Meanwhile, Kili had taken down several wild wolves, and more than one orc, and he had looked like he could have done it for hours. It was so unfair. That stupid prince had even protected Ori, killing an orc that was running in his direction. As if anyone had _asked_ him to do that.

Still, even when that beardless idiot shooting everything that moved, they were greatly outnumbered, and Gandalf had had to save them, for a change, by making them jump into a hidden cave, which had turned out to be the secret entrance to some elve's valley. Ori had taken it as wonderful news. It wasn't very dwarvish of him, he knew it, but he sort of liked elves because they valued scholars, something his own kind didn't do enough for his tastes.

As they were walking toward the great elven house at the bottom of the valley, Ori had the bad surprise to see Kili sneak up to him and put a hand to his shoulder, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“Hey, you were pretty good earlier!” the young prince said with a smile. “You have a great aim, I'd never have thought.”

“For what good it did,” Ori mumbled. “It's lucky you were there, I s'ppose. At least you have a proper weapon, and you use it well.”

“So you think I'm a good archer then? Thanks! Well, I did sort of miss that orc on the rock though, didn't I? That was embarrassing... Fili will be making fun of me for weeks now, missing a target like that...”

Ori just shrugged. If Kili what at risk of being mocked, then what of him? He had done nothing useful of the entire fight. Truth be told, all he wanted to do was forget about the whole thing and to be left alone.

Instead, he felt Kili's hand move from his shoulder to the middle of his back.

“Say, are you okay after that slide down the cave? It was pretty steep and all, it'd be bad if you hurt yourself or something, wouldn't it? Maybe, if you get a moment of calm latter, I could check if you have any bruises, if you want?”

“Do you think I'm that _fragile_?” Ori protested, outraged. “I am perfectly well, thank you very much. My skin is quite as hard as anyone else's, thank you very much. You should... go check on the hobbit or something, he's the one all tender and soft, not me.”

He then stepped away and went to walk closer to Dori who, while boring and overprotective at times, knew at least that he would not break that easily.

 

* * *

 

The elves were nice. Too tall and beardless to look pretty, and Aulë but they had no sense of music, nor of fashion, though they were rather nice. Only, they were terrible cooks. They did not know how to prepare meat, for one thing, and they used too much vegetables that Dori insisted he ate because they were good for health. Only, if they were any good, then why did their mother never cook any? Dori had nothing to say to that, but still insisted that Ori tried a bit of everything, until he'd found some beer and suddenly stopped caring about his brother's food.

But because Ori just had the worse luck ever, before he could enjoy that moment of peace, Kili came to sit next to him. The younger dwarf almost asked him to go, but then the prince produced chips, and it was all Ori could do not to kiss him.

“Where did you get them?” he asked, greedily grabbing the potatoes. “I didn't see any, and all they have is boiled, and...”

“I went to ask for some,” Kili answered with a large smile. “I'm a prince and all, it helps. And I heard you say you wanted some, so I thought I could share, you know?”

“Well, that's awfully nice of you. I've dreamed of chips since we left Mr Baggins' home, and... what are you doing?”

Kili had slowly started dragging his chair nearer and nearer to Ori's, until their legs were touching.

“Just wanted a chip,” the prince said, picking one. “And, well, you know, I've been thinking a lot since earlier.”

“ _You_ were _thinking_? About what?”

“You're really good with that slingshot, and I mean it. But it's not much of a weapon, and that's too bad, because you're wasting your talent there. So I thought, maybe, I could let you try my bow, give you a few lessons even? I'm sure you could make a great archer, and it would be great to finally have someone to train with me.”

“Well...”

“Come on, it'd be fun!” Kili insisted, grabbing his hand. “We'd get to spend time together, and learn to know one another and all, and that'd be nice, no? All the others are so... old. We young ones have to stick together, don't we?”

“If I say yes, will you let go of my hand? But... yeah, I s'ppose it couldn't hurt to try, yeah?”

“Wonderful! Let's go then!”

And, just like that, Kili stood up and started running away from the room, pulling Ori behind him.

 

* * *

 

How Kili had found the place where the elves trained, after barely two hours in the place, it was a mystery. How he had arranged to have the place lit up with candles just so they could use it, even more so. Ori decided that the elves must have liked him because he looked so much like them.

“Are you sure it's okay to be here, really?” he still asked hesitantly. “I mean, when you proposed to train me, I thought it'd be... well, later. And that it wouldn't be just the two of us. Alone. In the dark.”

“It's not dark!” Kili protested with a large smile. “And why wait when we can do it now? There's no need to lose time, right?”

“But it's not... Well, I'm not sure it's exactly very proper, is it?”

The dark haired dwarf laughed, and made a step in his direction, grinning wickedly.

“Why, are you going to try and seduce me? Because, as you said, we're alone in the dark, no one knows where we've gone, and if you try anything, no one will know.”

“I'd do no such thing!” Ori protested, certain he must have been blushing. And then, because he might never again get such an occasion, he added “I'm not... I'm not _you_. Maybe you could get away with jumping on someone you like without any proper courting, but I'm not you, I'm not a prince. You can do anything you want, and it's always perfect, and everyone loves you and thinks you're wonderful and you don't even have to try. If I say something bad, they laugh at me and call me a child, but you do it and it's fun and you all laugh together like you're one of them.”

It was a bit harsh maybe, but it had been a long day, and Ori was too tired and angry to care anymore. He would almost have felt sorry though, seeing Kili so shocked and sad, but it was about time the prince knew how privileged he was, wasn't it?

“I'm sorry,” Kili said after a moment. “I had no idea you hated me that much.”

“I don't hate you, don't be so... dramatic. I just... think you shouldn't pretend to be friends with me, because we have nothing in common, that's all. I think it'd be best for everyone if you left me alone, you know? I'm sure the others will be a lot more fun for you.”

The young prince frowned, obviously hurt, but he said nothing and went to fetch a long parcel near the practice targets. He then held it out to Ori, refusing to look the blond dwarf in the eyes.

“It's for you.”

“I just told you that...”

“I know, okay!” Kili cut him. “But it's too late, I have it, and it's no use for me, so just... take it. You can throw it away if you want, or keep it, I don't care. Do whatever you want. I thought you would like it, but now I'm not so sure anymore, because clearly I've been very wrong all this time, haven't I? But I think I should tell you that I wasn't pretending to be your friend. I really thought we were getting along fine, and I... I'm sorry that I've been imposing myself on you so much. I promise it'll stop now.”

He shot one last look toward Ori, as if he still hoped for something, then left.

The younger dwarf suddenly felt very silly for his little outburst. Sure, Kili had annoyed him a lot, but he had done most of it unknowingly, by just being himself, and it really wasn't fair of him to be angry at him for something he couldn't help, was it? And then he'd given him that present, and why had he done that, really? Ori had half a mind to leave it there, or even to give it back to the prince, but that would have been terribly rude. So he opened it, and gasped in surprise.

It was an elfish bow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori has a bow he doesn't want, Kili is a sad puppy, and everyone's life is in danger.  
> An ordinary day for the Company, all things considered.

When they left Rivendell, Ori took with him the bow, hidden in a pullover he was keeping for colder days. The temptation to leave it behind had been great -and really, what would Thorin do if he ever discovered he had an elfish weapon? He'd send him back home, that would be what -but his mother and Dori had always told him that a gift was always to be treated with care, even one you didn't need and offered by one you didn't like. And, well, it was a very nice bow, with a quiver and a few arrows. It looked beautiful and deadly at once. Ori wasn't sure how Kili had obtained it in the first place, but it would have been a shame to let it go to waste, wouldn't it? Of course, he would never dare to use it before the others, but still.

The great news of the day though was that Kili wasn't bothering him anymore. As they walked, the young prince kept his distance whenever possible, and entirely avoided talking to him. Which was good. Wasn't it? Sure, it made Ori realize just how much conversations he had been having with the other dwarf, and maybe he felt a little lonely now that he'd lost the one person who would willingly come talk to him, but at least he was left in peace, and that was what really mattered. And maybe it made him feel guilty to see the young prince looking so... _down_ , but he would soon get over it, Ori was sure of it.

One thing he did not expect him was that the others would notice something had happened. More than once that morning, Dori had thrown him an inquiring look, clearly wanting him to explain why the prince was no longer coming near them. His older brother never actually asked of course, since that would have been terribly impolite, and Ori had never been more glad for good manners, because he didn't know what he could have said. Dori wasn't the only one intrigued though, and more than once, the young dwarf caught Fili throwing him dark looks. It made Ori fear that the blonde prince would find an occasion to come and ask him what was going on, since _he_ didn't not care much for politeness.

But it was their hobbit who finally approached the subject, and he did it with an utter lack of delicacy that simply mortified Ori.

“Did you and Kili have an argument?” Bilbo bluntly asked when they stop for a bit of lunch. “I think it's the first time in weeks I don't see the two of you chatting while we walk. Friends shouldn't stay angry at one another too long, especially not in such a quest.”

For one so small, the hobbit certainly had a voice that carried away. Ori noticed all the dwarves of the company turn towards them, then quickly look away, trying to appear nonchalant and failing terribly.

“I certainly do not see what you mean, Mr Baggins,” Ori whispered shyly. “Today is just like any other day, as far as I can tell. I only fear you are _very_ mistaken about how close the prince and I are, is all.”

And a dwarf would have accepted that answer and dropped the subject, but Bilbo was about about to insist when Bofur quickly said he needed his help with something, thus saving Ori. There was a heavy silence for a moment, until Fili turned to his brother and asked him if he needed help braiding his hair.

“What do you mean?”

“I remember you saying you'd finally put some order to that mane you call your hair once you'd done something that deserved a braid,” Fili said. “And you did kill several orcs and wargs the other day, didn't you? If that's not deserving it, then nothing is. So come on, I know mother has given you one of her hair rings, I'll put it on you.”

“It's... not necessary.”

“Of course it is!” Gloin exclaimed next to them. “You've acted like a true dwarf, it's time you start looking like one.”

“Aye, it won't do for a prince to have so little pride!” Nori added. “You're the blood of Durin, lad. People see your hair like that, they think you're a coward or a child. Bad enough that you don't have a beard, you should at least braid the hair, yeah? Even Ori does it! Do you have less pride than a babe, little prince?”

Ori looked down on the elfish bread in his hand, cheeks burning in embarrassment. His braids were not for acts a courage, but for literary accomplishment. There was one for his learning sindarin, one for his understanding, incomplete as it was, of the dark language of the orcs, one for his master claiming him to be now an accomplished scribe, and the last one for an unilluminated book he had finished for a human lord, just a few weeks before joining Thorin's company. The two braids of his beard had been made by his mother, as celebration for his joining this quest to Erebor. He wasn't sure it was any reason of pride, though. It was just what he did, really, but his family had insisted on the braids to mark these events.

Risking a look away from his bread, Ori caught Kili watching him, a strange expression on his face. There was sadness in there, anger also, and something else that Ori couldn't quite place. Frustration maybe? But all of it was gone in the blink of an eye, and the prince once again looked his usual goofy smile as he turned to the other to explain that he just couldn't put a braid in in his hair, because he had lost his hair ring during the little fight against the trolls. The others were shocked to hear it, but the young prince soon managed to have them laugh with him at his clumsiness, and the whole thing was soon forgotten.

But not by Ori, who was starting to have strong suspicions as to what had paid for his bow.

 

* * *

 

The weather changed quickly in the afternoon, and the company found itself in the middle of a storm. That was rather bad, but they had all lived in the mountains long enough to be used to such brusque changes of weather. They had nothing to worry about.

Until the Stone Giants appeared, and they almost lost half of the company because some of them were standing on a Giant's leg as it fell against the mountain. Ori was among the safe ones. Kili wasn't. The younger dwarf felt his heart miss a beat when, for a short moment, there were only rocks to be seen, and he grabbed Dori's sleeve, fearing the worst, then rushed to the spot where the others had disappeared.

Kili was safe.

Without thinking, Ori ran to take him by the arm, needing to make sure the other was alive. Part of him vaguely justified it as him not wanting the other to die before he'd had a chance to apologize for his harsh words. It didn't last long, just enough for Kili to look at him with surprise, before Fili came and pushed the younger dwarf away to hug his brother.

“Where's the hobbit?” someone said suddenly. “Where's Bilbo?”

Ori was the first to spot him, barely hanging onto the edge of the cliff. He immediately dropped to the ground to try to catch his hand, but the hobbit slipped out of his reach. Thorin had to risk his own life to save him, before complaining one more time about what a dead weight their burglar was.

After that, they found a cave to spend the night. They were safe from the rain at least, though wet and cold as they were it made little difference, especially with Thorin forbidding they start a fire. They looked like they were going for a very uncomfortable night, though Ori felt luckier than the rest, with his spare pullover waiting in his bag. But as he touched the wool, he remembered the elfish bow hidden in it. He could not take it out in public, everyone would ask questions, and it would be terribly embarrassing because even he didn't have answers to these questions.

Looking around, the young dwarf saw Kili alone, his brother gone to talk with their uncle, and he decided that this was the perfect moment to ask for an explanation, while everyone was distracted by eating or trying to keep warm.

“Can I sit next to you for a moment?” Ori asked, as polite as ever.

“If you want, yeah. But aren't you worried I'll bother you?”

The blond dwarf ignored that last remark and sat down, a respectable distance between them.

“I have questions to ask you, Kili. I hope you won't mind, but...”

“Did you keep it, in the end?” the prince cut him.

“It is a present, I... it wouldn't have been right to leave it behind, would it? But I probably should have, I'll get in terrible troubles if anyone see it. Where did you even get that... thing?”

“Well, it's elf-made,” Kili whispered, “and we where in the house of elves. You're the clever one, aren't you? I'd have thought it'd be easy to know where I got it. And since you've got such a nice opinion of me, I'll tell you I didn't _steal_ it, okay, so don't feel bad for that.”

Ori frowned. He would never have accused the other one of being a thief. Kili was childish and stupid, yes, but a more honest dwarf he had never met.

“I _know_ that,” he eventually said. “But please, tell me you didn't trade the hair ring your mother gave you for it? Because if you did, it's really not a clever thing to have done.”

“Yes, well, when I did it, I didn't really think I was trading the ring for... for nothing, okay?” Kili grumbled sadly. “I thought it'd make you happy, and that we'd train together, and _that_ would have been worth any gold in the world. I thought we... but you don't even think of me as a friend. Guess I'm too stupid for you.”

“You're not always very bright, no. I mean, I still don't get why it was so important that we'd train together? I understand that I'm fairly useless to the group as it is, but training with you, it'd only make you lose time over all I'd do wrong, and there's nothing to say I wouldn't have been horrible with a bow, so...”

“It wasn't about training you,” Kili said calmly, “I just wanted an excuse to spend time with you. It's what really mattered.”

“But why...”

Ori's voice faltered when the other took put one hand on his. Then Kili's other hand was on his cheek, and the young prince kissed him, quick and soft, before pulling back and giving him a sad look.

“I like you, okay? And I thought you sort of liked me too. But you don't. And it's okay, I can live with it, I really can, and I'll leave you alone, and you can... go back to your books, and be happy without me to bother you.”

Ori knew he should have said something, because _this_ put everything in an entirely new light, but Kili stood up and left before he had time to properly think about it.

* * *

 

It kept Ori awake long after the others.

Kili liked him. _Kili_ liked him. Kili liked _him_.

He wasn't sure what part of it was the most ridiculous. None of it made sense. Kili was a prince. And sure, he wasn't very pretty to look at, but everyone liked him, he had that sort of strange, contagious enthusiasm, and you just couldn't resist it. He smiled and you smiled back. Even _Bilbo_ liked him, and honestly he would have had plenty of reasons to hate the young prince.

So why would such a person ever have an interest in... well, _Ori_ , of all people? Ori who'd been told often enough that he didn't have a very dwarvish personality, who spent too much time reading and drawing, and whom people tended to forget was in the room with them. All he had for him were his looks, which were fairly tolerable he'd heard, or at least would be if he dressed like a proper dwarf rather than a shepherd.

Maybe it was a joke, Ori thought after a while. It had to be, he decided as he finally felt sleep coming. Just another prank from the prince, nothing more.

And then, the ground opened, and they were captured by goblins.

 

* * *

 

All their weapons were taken away by the goblins, even Ori's slingshot, and put into a pile, at the feet of the repulsive monster they call a king. The young dwarf thought of the bow in his backpack, wishing he had any way to get it and use it, but the goblins holding him would not let him move, not matter how much he fights back.

“If they will not talk, we will make them squawk!” the Goblin King yells, suddenly bringing Ori's attention back to him.

“Start with the youngest!” the monster adds, smiling at Ori.

He feels like his legs are going to fail him. The goblins holding him start pushing him, and somewhere behind him, he faintly hears the others protesting, calling his name. He's fairly sure he recognize Kili's voice, and when he turns, the young prince is trying to escape to come and rescue him. And when he can't escape the goblins anymore than Ori could earlier, there is fear in his eyes.

But luckily, Thorin steps forward, claiming his name, and the young dwarf is safe, for a time.

* * *

 

Soon after, Gandalf arrived and saved them all, again. And there was a fight as they tried to escape. Ori was fairly sure he'd killed a goblin or two on the way, and that should have made him proud, he knew it, but he was too terrified for that. There was no way he could survive this, they were all going to die before even seeing Erebor. He kept telling himself that he should never have come, that his place was not there, that this was all a terrible mistake on his part.

But he still fought, and ran, because there was nothing else to do.

 

* * *

 

Seeing the light again once they are out of the goblins' caves felt like the best thing of his life.

 

* * *

 

Until the wargs arrived, and they all had to climb up the the nearest trees to escape.

Dwarves didn't belong in trees, and Ori even less so than the others. He had never been an adventurous child, climbing and falling and going to dangerous places was never his hobby, though he read a lot about people who did these things. He wished he were in a book then, because people in books always got out of these situations. But them? They were fighting orcs and wargs with explosive pine cones.

At least Ori was good at this, and all his cones hit their targets. More than one warg would have a few painful days before them, thanks to him. Feeling bold, Ori started aiming at orcs too. They were further away, but he was sure he could get them too. He was trying to hit Azog when the tree shook, its roots starting to give away, and Ori's grip on the branches wasn't strong enough.

He fell, and somewhere above him, the others yelled.

Luckily, he managed to catch Dori's legs, but just barely. His brother wasn't ready for the sudden extra weight and he too accidentally let go of the tree, only to be saved by Gandalf who held out his staff for Dori to catch.

It would never be enough though, Ori was sure of that. He did not dare to look down, but he knew that he had no chance to survive such a fall, and he felt like crying. The others had been right all along, he was only a child, and he probably should never have come, because he had put his brother's life in danger too.

He didn't want to die.

But Dori's hands slipped from the wizard's staff, and they fall into the darkness.

The last thing Ori thought as he closed his eyes is that it would have been nice to be kissed again by Kili.

 

* * *

 

Except he didn't die. Instead he was caught by a giant eagle.

He wasn't sure it was that much better than dying though, because being so high up in the air, on the back of a creature which language he didn't speak, was utterly terrifying. But being safe, and seeing that the others too were safe, all of them, was worth being scared for a while.

When finally his eagle let him down on a high rock, there was something going on with Bilbo and Thorin, who were apparently hugging while everyone cheered. Ori thought it rather strange, and turned to say so to the nearest dwarf, but that turned out to be Kili. He looked quite ready to follow his uncle's example and to take Ori in his arms, but managed to stop himself and instead just put a hand on the younger dwarf's shoulder. It was nice, really, and Ori can't help to remember how he did almost the same thing not so long before, when he had feared Kili had died in the Stone Giants' fight.

“You fought well,” Kili said, with a small smile. “Against the goblins. And against the wargs too. You really _can_ aim. And I... I'm glad you're not hurt. I... I saw you fall, and I thought...”

His voice broke at that, and suddenly Ori was reminded of a puppy, happy and content and hyperactive as long as he felt appreciated and safe, miserable the second things started going bad. Though how he went from that realization to taking the prince's hand in his, he had no idea. It just seemed the logical thing to do. Kili looked stunned, and looked at their hands as if he had never seen anything stranger in his life.

“Why?”

“Not sure,” Ori admitted. “But it feels right.”

“Thought you hated me. That you never wanted me near you again.”

“I was angry that night!” Ori protested. “You and your brother had almost got everyone killed with the trolls, and no one was saying a thing, and I just thought it was unfair, because... well, if it had been me, I would have been punished for it.”

Kili laughed at that, then shot a quick look around. No one was paying them any attention, instead trying to figure out how to get down from the rock, and whether they should sleep there or not. Apparently satisfied by that, the young prince took a step closer to Ori.

“Trust me, Thorin made sure we won't be doing that again,” Kili sighed. “He caught the two of us just when we arrived at the elves and you all started eating and damn, I swear some of the words he used I had never heard before. He... he said we should take your example, actually,” he added after a pause. “Said you were the proof that being young was not excuse for acting like a fool, and we should take you as a model and all.”

“Thorin told you _what_?”

“Well, don't act so surprised, it's true. And he's probably right, I s'ppose. You're so accomplished and all. Dori keeps saying there's more than one human lord who would have like to get you to work for them, 'cause you're such a good scribe and all. He said since you've started copying books, half the family's money came from you.”

That was true, of course. Books were precious, and Ori had a nice handwriting, and he'd been making a fair bit of money with his work. It was surprising to learn that Dori had been praising him, though, when his brother was always scolding him for one thing or another.

“Well, writing is just... what I do. And it's not much use here, really.”

“Are you joking? You're the one who'll be telling our story later! We'll reconquer Erebor, and then you'll make us all immortal when you'll write our story! Your job is _essential_!”

Ori blushed. That made it all sound so... _glamorous_ , really. He was half certain that Kili was exaggerating it a fair bit, but it was nice, being complimented like that. But then again, Kili had always been nice, hadn't he? Loud and annoying and childish too, yes, but in the end, he was nice. Ori rather liked that. He wasn't used to being around nice people. His brothers weren't mean as such, and their mother tried to be supportive, and his old master had been fair and just, but none of them had really ever taken the time to be actually nice to him, had they? But Kili was nice, and he liked Ori. And, maybe, just maybe, Ori just liked Kili, at least a bit. Given some more time, he was sure he could like him a lot. Love him, even.

“You look awfully serious,” Kili worried. “Did I say something wrong? Sorry, I know I had said I'd leave you alone, and here I am again, bothering you and all, and...”

“If I apologize for all the mean things I've said to you,” Ori said, lowering his eyes, “d'you think there's any chance you'll teach me to use my bow? Because, I've thought really hard about it all, and I think you're right and I could like that, and that it could be nice to train together. If you still want to, that is.”

There was a moment of silence during which Ori stared at his feet. He felt atrociously bold and improper, making such an offer when he'd been so rude in rejecting Kili earlier. But he had almost died several times during the last day, and there was still weeks of travel until they arrived to Erebor. If he didn't dare now, when would he?

“Do you really want to train with me, or are you just trying to make me feel better?” Kili asked. “Because I don't want you to do it just to please me. I've told you before, I... I can take it, really.”

“I want to train with you because then maybe we'll really become friend and then you'll kiss me again,” Ori answered very quickly, still refusing to look at the other one. “I don't know if I like you as much as you like me, but I like you a lot, and it was... lonely, when you didn't talk to me, and you're nice, and...”

He stopped rambling when Kili put a hand under his chin, making him raise his head before kissing him. A real, proper kiss this time, that made Ori feel like had had butterflies in his stomach and legs made of jelly. It took his breath away, but that was nothing compared to the smile on Kili's face when he pulled away. The young prince looked like a puppy with a new ball.

“Training with you will be nice,” he said. “Kissing you... even nicer.”

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is still not nearly as fluffy as I wanted it to be when I started, but trust me when I said it could have been a lot more angsty too.  
> I may or may not write a little thing from Kili's POV (probably about how he fell in love/ his reaction to Ori's rejection, so, yay, angst and all). We'll see, I suppose?  
> Also I am only too aware that it doesn't really answer my prompt which... probably means I'll have towrite another fic for it?XD


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Families disapprove, Ori doubts, Kili is a cheerful idiot and Thorin has an opinion on the whole business.

No one had seen them kiss, busy at they all were observing the Carrock, and Kili did not try anything after that. Looking at them, one who have thought they were only two friends who had reconciled. Ori found he was mostly relieved by that. He did not wish his brothers to know anything was going on. Dori certainly wouldn't approve, and they would both be angry that they had dared to kiss so early in their courtship. It should have been years before they had such intimate contact, and it should never have happened in public anyway.

Maybe that was why Kili had immediately gone back to being friendly. Or maybe it was just that there were things happening with the others that had caught his interest. Like the eagles coming back with a sheep, some rabbits, and wood to cook it all. With this, the rest of the day was spent resting pleasantly, and after a nice, hot meal, most of the dwarves tried to get some sleep. Ori had tried to do like the others, but he kept waking up after dreadful dreaming of endless falling. In the end he gave up on sleep, jealous to see all the others napping as peacefully as if they hadn't just escaped death. The only other one to still be awake was Dwalin, keep watch. Ori went to join him and, for the first time since they had left the Shire, the other dwarf did not try to send him back to sleep.

“You fought like a true dwarf,” was the only explanation he was given, but that was enough. It was the first step toward being treated like an adult.

The next morning, they had a wash in a nearby river. And Ori's gaze certainly did not end up on Kili a single time then. At least, that was what he tried to tell himself. Kili, on the other hand, had no care for subtlety, and a blind dwarf would have noticed the way he admired his little scholar's body. It was terribly improper, but Ori realized he didn't mind that much.

Once they all felt clean again, they had to start moving again. Some of them felt they should have rested longer, if only for Thorin's sake, but the king would hear none of it. They had little food left and orcs after them; they simply could not afford to stay any longer. Gandalf suggested they went to a man he knew who might be willing to help them, and they had no choice but to follow him.

 

* * *

 

It was nice, walking again with Kili by his side. The young prince was strangely calmer than before though, and Ori did not know if was exhaustion or fear of annoying him again that had caused such a change. But is wasn't so bad, really. They talked a lot, and for once Ori had the impression of actually participating to the conversation.

“Don't mind Fili too much,” Kili suddenly said as they were walking by a great field of flowers. “He's a bit protective, but he'll warm up to you, once he really sees how great you are.”

That surprised Ori, who had not given a bit of attention to the other prince that day. Once he spotted Fili, he wished he hadn't. The eyes of the blond prince were full of threats. Ori swallowed, worried.

“I said not to mind it,” Kili repeated, briefly allowing their fingers to touch. “He is really just trying to protect me, that's all. It'll get better.”

“No it won't. He hates me, I can tell.”

For some reason that made Kili laugh, and Ori wondered if he should be offended.

“I told him the same thing about you, that night at Rivendell,” he explained with a smile. “And yet, look at us now! So fear not, there is hope for my brother and you.”

That only worried Ori more. He did not know Fili well, but it was obvious he was not a forgiving dwarf, and that hurting his brother was the worst crime one could commit. All the young dwarf could do was hope hope Fili would not associate Dori and Nori to his disapproval, or that would mark the end of whatever it was he had with Kili.

* * *

 

Beorn had received them well enough, giving food, drinks, and a nice place to rest. Ori felt happier than he had ever been before. All the mead he had drunk might have helped with that of course, but that couldn't be all. He felt warm and light, as if nothing bad could happen ever again. It made him giggle at everything. He even felt bold enough to take Kili's hand under the table, to the obvious joy of the other dwarf. And when they all went to bed, Ori stole a kiss on his cheek while nobody was looking.

 

* * *

 

When morning came, and as he retrieved some of his capacity for thought after another restless night, Ori was horrified of his behaviour at diner. He had acted in the most improper fashion possible, like a child allowed to drink for the first time and making a fool of himself because of it. Certainly, they would all make fun of him now. Unless they had noticed what he had been doing to Kili, in which case they would all be angry at his shamelessness.

Luckily he was the first one awake and was thus able to eat in the kitchen with only Beorn's animal as company. But before he had a chance to go hide outside and never come back before everyone had forgotten about that damn dinner, Ori was joined by Fili who, from the look he gave him, seemed to like him less than ever. The younger dwarf wondered how he could escape without it being too obvious that he was trying to escape. Maybe he could pretend a sudden interest in the sheep.

“If you hurt my brother, I will kill you slowly and painfuly,” Fili said in a calm voice. “This is not an empty threat, mind. You might be good with books, but I am _excellent_ with weapons. Should I need it, I can even make it look like an accident. But I might not need it. I'm fairly sure Thorin will let me do what I want if I tell him you've made his younger nephew cry again.”

Ori paled, and looked at his feet.

“I've never wanted to hurt him,” he mumbled. “I'd never have said anything mean if I had know... well, you know. But I do know now, and...”

“Do you _like_ him?” Fili cut him, anger in his voice. “Because if you don't, if you're just pretending to spare his feelings or some crap like that, he will be hurt. Badly. And we don't want that. So, I _can_ forgive you if you stop it _now_ , but this is your last chance.”

“I... I think I like him,” Ori answered shyly, and even in that stressful moment, the thought made him feel oddly warm.

In the blink of an eye Fili was standing, both hands holding Ori by his collar, his face mere inches from the younger dwarf's.

“You'll have to do better than _think_ ,” the prince snarled. “If you can't be sure, then do everyone a favour and end it now, before you do _more_ damage!”

Ori had to fight back tears. It wasn't _fair_. It had been barely three days since he'd learned of Kili's feeling, how was he supposed to know what _his_ were? Was Fili right, should he have thought more before acting so rashly, risking to hurt Kili again in the process? But it had been so nice, having Kili's hand on his at the Carrock, and he had really wanted to kiss him again, and it had all felt so _right_ at the time.

“Think carefully,” Fili advised him. “But you should know I don't approve of this match in any case, and neither does Thorin.”

That was the last blow, and the worst one yet. The disapproval of Thorin was one thing Ori was not prepared to face, and the mere idea of it made him want to cry. And he might have, if Kili hadn't entered the kitchen then, a bright smile on his face. After seeing that they were in private -and Ori would have liked to object that being with Fili was anything but private -the dark haired prince hugged the scholar.

“Hello, my favourite dwarf!” he said cheerfully. “Hey, why the sad face? You look like a sad kitty.”

“I didn't sleep well,” Ori half-lied, his cheeks red. “I dreamed of falling. But it's nothing, don't worry.”

Kili looked surprised, and threw a suspicious glance toward his brother. Fili looked as innocent as he ever would.

“I'm sorry you didn't rest,” Kili said, turning back to Ori. “I had an idea for today, but if you're tired, it might be better to stay inside until you're better.”

“I'm fine, no need to treat me like a babe!” Ori protested angrily. Then, noticing Fili's glare, he quickly added “What was you're idea? I'm really not that tired, and it could be nice to go outside together.”

“I wanted to start training you with your bow, if that's alright? The weather is great, there's no wind, and there's plenty of stuff around to make a target. Would you like that?”

“I would love it! When do you want to do it? This morning?”

Kili laughed, and kissed him briefly.

“Go get your bow and wait for me outside. I'll grab a cake and join you in a minute, okay?”

Ori nodded frenetically, unable to contain a smile. It was silly to be made so happy just by the idea of spending some time with the prince, but the young dwarf decided he didn't care. This day was about to become very good. He thanked Kili for his offer, then rushed out of the kitchen to take his new bow.

In the main room, the others were starting to wake up, but they did not seem to mind him at all. Maybe he had worried for nothing after all, and no one cared about what he did with Kili, supposing they noticed at all. It was only when he took the pullover containing his elfish bow that Dori seemed to realize his brother was there.

“Where are you going, laddie? It's too early for you to go out alone.”

“It's not that early, and I won't be alone. Kili will be with me. And we're staying near the house anyway.”

“Being with Kili is worse than being alone,” Dori grumbled. “Mother wouldn't approve of this, and I shouldn't allow it. You're too young for this, it can't be serious.”

“We're just friends, there's nothing for you to _approve_ ,” Ori answered more dryly than he should have.

“Don't think me a fool, boy,” his brother said in a warning tone. “You're not the first one to become 'friend' with a prince, and you won't be the last. It's easy to forget, here, like this, but the two of you don't belong to the same world, and you don't play by the same rules. _He_ is free to flirt as he chooses, he is _royalty_. Anything he does now will be forgiven and forgotten in the blink of an eye. You and I, on the other hand, are _nobody_. Once your reputation is ruined, the taint will remain until your death. So mind your actions, and try not to be _too_ friendly with anyone.”

“Kili isn't like that!” Ori yelled, furious that anyone could suppose such horrible things from his prince. “He's _nice_! He's not playing with me, he'd never do anything so awful. He's the kindest person I have ever met in my life, and I don't _care_ if you don't approve, I _like_ him.”

“I've never heard anything so _improper_ in my life!” Dori protested, looking the very image of indignation. “Since when do you speak to me like this? This is...”

“This is my life, and I'll do what I want, and what I want is to be with Kili, so say what you want, I don't care. I like him. As long as he wants me then I'll want _him_ , and be happy with him. So you can keep you damn propriety and...and put it where I think, because _I just don't care anymore_!”

The look of utter shock on his elder brother's face was worth all the troubles he be in later. Had Dori insulted him, it wouldn't have been a problem. Ori was used to being put down. But Kili was worth defending, against everything and everyone, and no one would stop him.

Or so he thought, until he realized that he'd been making a scene in front of the entire company, like a child throwing a tantrum. The other dwarves all looked at him in surprise and, in a few cases, with amusement or what seemed to be sympathy. Thorin's expression was unreadable though, which would have worried Ori at any other time, but his attention was elsewhere.

As a matter of fact, his attention was on Kili, who was standing with Fili on the threshold of the kitchen door, his cheeks red as a ruby.

It was the single most embarrassing moment in all of Ori's life, which was something, really. So he did the only logical thing he could think of, and ran out of the house.

 

* * *

 

He did not go far, of course. There was nowhere to go after all. But he did find himself a huge apple tree behind which to hide, and he felt safe there. Not that anyone would come looking for him, of course. The only one who might have come for him was Kili, but certainly everyone would be bothering him and demanding explanation, and Ori had left him all alone to deal with this. He felt like the most horrible dwarf in the history of Middle Earth.

“Mahal, I am so _stupid_.”

“If by idiot you mean amazing, then yes, you are,” Kili said, sitting next to him.

Ori was so startled he almost fell on his side, only to be rescued by the dark haired dwarf who caught him and pulled him in a hug.

“Y... You're not angry then?” Ori mumbled.

“Angry? Why would I ever be _angry_?”

“I'm sure Dori must have yelled at out, and Thorin can't have been too happy, and...”

Kili laughed, and Ori felt it reverberate in his entire body. It was one of the most pleasant things he had ever experienced in his life. But then again, lately all the best things in his life seemed to involve Kili in one way or another.

“I have no idea how everyone reacted,” the dark haired prince said. “The only reason I didn't catch you sooner is because it took me some to time to process the fact that I has heard you right. It was. Unexpected.”

“And terribly improper of me,” Ori sighed, though that was decidedly something he didn't have the energy to mind anymore. “But, it was... true, you know. I mean. I know I've been... really awful to you in the past, and... and right until I said it, I wasn't entirely sure. But I... I care about you. A lot. And it makes me so happy to be with you. And not just now, it... it made me happy before too, and after Rivendell I really missed it, being around you. So, what I mean is, I really like you a lot.”

It was not the most eloquent declaration of affection ever, but under such circumstances, Ori felt it wasn't so bad. And Kili must have agreed, because he kissed him.

It was entirely different from the kisses they had shared so far. While the first one had been rather sad, and the second one tender, this third kiss was full of passion. It was the most improper thing _ever_. Ori loved every second of it. One of his hands found its way on the back of Kili's head, enjoying the coarse texture of his dark hair, while the other staid on his cheek, caressing what little beard the prince had. At one point or another, they must have moved -or fallen, Ori didn't care- and they were laying on the warm grass, Kili on top, kissing his scholar as if it were the only thing that mattered in the entire world. It was heaven.

A loud cough behind them brought them back to reality.

Thorin was standing a few feet from them, his face as impassible as ever. The two young dwarves quickly separated, and when the king motioned for them to stand up, they quickly obeyed.

“You too are making quite the scandal,” he said in a severe voice. “Ori, your brother is now accusing _my nephew_ of having corrupted you, and he requests that I act and put an end to your little affair this very moment. And in that he's supported by Fili who seem to think _his_ brother has been bewitched and will soon die of a broken heart. I hope you understand I cannot allow this to go on without reacting.”

The two young ones lowered their heads, preparing for the order that was coming, but as a last act of defiance Ori took Kili's hand in his. It was not like he had anything to lose at that point after all.

But then, to their surprise, Thorin made a sound that would have suspiciously resembled a laugh, had he been capable of such a thing.

“I'm not going to interrupt you little romance,” he told them, a certain softness in his eyes. “For one thing, I fear I would be wasting my time if I did, and you're no longer children. If this is what you want, then so be it, and I hope the best for you. As long as nothing you do puts you, or anyone else in danger, I will make sure you are left in peace. And now I shall leave you to your... _occupations_ , and deal with this. Do try to be back inside before dark, if that is not too much to ask.”

Ori and Kili stared at him as he walked away, too stunned to react. Then, after a few seconds, the dark hair dwarf turn to the other, a wicked grin on his elfish face.

“I think we have just received a royal encouragement to make out as much as we want until sunset. Would be a shame not to obey, right?”

“Oh, I could never live with it if I were to disappoint him,” Ori said, smiling rather foolishly.

“Then let's get down to business right now,” Kili answered, pulling him back to the ground with him.

It was a lovely day, the sun was warm, the flowers pretty, and to make everything even more charming, Ori took Kili's face in his hand and kissed him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had not planned to add another chapter and yet here it is. I have more in mind, but that should be posted independantly.  
> Also Thorin is a Cool Uncle and I like to think he's a big softie on the inside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili's side of the story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *blows on dust*  
> hey, look at that  
> Instead of advancing my wips, I'm writing again on this old, old fic that was technically finished  
> welp  
> there we go I guess.

Falling in love with Ori had been like making a bet, Kili sometimes thought.

 

From the moment he had first seen that shy little scholar, he had known there was something special about him, and that he could be the most amazing of dwarves, if only he were given a chance. And oh, but Kili was _so_ willing to give him that chance.

And not just because Ori had a very pretty face, the sort you would want to carve in stone so that future generation would know what Beauty was. That had been the reason he had noticed him in the first place, there was no denying it, but it was never the _only_ reason. To see someone so handsome look so painfully shy had intrigued him. So did the scarf and the cardigan that looked handmade, and big enough to fit a dwarf twice his size.

Kili had spent the entire night at Bag-End keeping an eye on the young dwarf. Observing him. Noticing little details. Ori didn't like vegetables, unless they had been fried. He fidgeted the end of his scarf when people were paying him too much attention. He was _awfully_ shy, but would relax a bit after a few drinks and join the fun with everyone. And Mahal, but wasn't he _fierce_ , when he said that he'd take the dragon down himself. It had made Kili want to kiss him right then and there, and only the presence of Dori and Nori had stopped him.

Later that night, he had drunkenly told his brother of his newly discovered love for Ori. Fili had laughed at him, but Kili was too drunk to let anyone pull him down.

 

During the following weeks, Kili had done all he could to earn Ori's friendship. It hadn't been easy. The younger dwarf was not just shy, as he had first thought; he had a severe lack of self confidence, to the point of not being aware of any of his qualities.

It had broken Kili's heart to once hear Ori say that his drawings were silly, meaningless things that were keeping him from proper dwarvish business, when the young prince had never seen anything so amazing in his life. It was like his little scribe had gold in his hands, and was mistaking it for dirt.

He had some suspicions that Ori's brothers were, at least in part, to blame for that.

Dori was a very traditional dwarf, who believed in, well, _traditions_. If he had had any choice, it was obvious that Ori would have learned to work metal -and he would have done it beautifully, Kili was sure of it -but instead, it seemed a friend of their mother had offered to train the lad to be a scribe, and they had agreed because the offer had been most advantageous. But Dori did not think much of the talent acquired by his youngest brother after long years of training, that much was clear, and it disliked the undwarfishness of it all. Nori was more appreciative of the skills needed to write and copy illuminated books, and occasionally tried to throw a compliment or two, but those were often lost in all the _friendly_ teasing he would inflict upon Ori.

Used as he was to being treated so, it was no surprise that Ori did not react to Kili's compliments and kind words, treating them as jokes. Still, the dwarf prince did not give up. It had become a matter of helping the scholar as much as one of earning his affections.

It simply would not do to have such a brilliant little dwarf feel as if he had the worth of an orc.

 

Fili doubted him, but that was no surprise. Ori was so defensive around the rest of the company. Still, Kili felt the other dwarf was starting to relax around him, and once or twice, he was given a timid smile after making a nice remark on his drawings, or on the quality of his knitting.

That last one almost earned him a pair of fingerless gloves.

“They'd be practical for shooting,” Ori had explained in that defensive tone he used every time he thought people were going to mock him. “Because you need to have the tip of your fingers free to do it properly, but the rest of your hands would be warm. That why I made mine, see. But, well, they're not very pretty, obviously. I'd understand if you don't want to have to wear those.”

“No, no, I'd want to have gloves like yours!” Kili had immediately assured him, not believing his luck. “I'd like that very much, actually! I've been admiring yours for a while, they look quite comfy...”

And then, there had been that little smile, the one Kili enjoyed so much, and Ori had taken the little bag containing his wool and needle. He had promptly dropped it when Nori, sitting next to him, had started laughing.

“Come on lad, the prince's just being kind, no more! Don't go wasting your time making gloves nobody wants. You should go help Bombur cook instead, make yourself a bit useful for once, yeah?”

No matter how much Kili had protested, swearing that he had really wanted those gloves, it was too late. Ori never again offered to knit anything for him, and in fact seemed to entirely give up on that hobby when there were others near him.

 

One night, Fili tried to make him give up on pursuing Ori, telling him that the scholar didn't feel as much as Kili does. As if he didn't know that already. But he also knew that courting, for dwarves, could take years, and that there was plenty of time for Ori's feelings to change. He also knew that his little scholar probably couldn't give his heart to anyone, when he didn't even manage to like himself yet. But how could he ever explain that to Fili, who had never been in love, who was almost as single minded as their uncle and thought of nothing but Erebor?

Thank Mahal, the theft of two ponies saved him from Fili's brotherly over-protectiveness.

 

Then the whole business with that bow happened, and Mahal, but hadn't it been a mistake. He'd just wanted to make Ori happy, to give him a real weapon, to have an excuse to spend time with him... maybe also to touch him when showing him how to hold a bow and shoot properly... but that had backfired terribly. And then there had been the mountains, and the realization that Ori had never guess at the depth of Kili's feelings, not even after his present... and that had hurt almost as much as the initial rejection, somehow. It had made him feel as if Ori would never have considered him for a lover.

It was a surprise when Ori approached him what felt a century later, after they had been rescued by eagles. And when he'd said he taken Kili's hand, and said he liked him, and wanted to kiss him... the prince could have died happy then. He still wasn't sure he hadn't.

 

Their first day at Beorn had been a good one, as far as Kili was concerned. Sure, Fili was angry at him about Ori, while Dori and Nori were probably plotting his death. But who cared when Ori liked him and had let Kili kiss him all morning under that apple tree? They'd only stopped when their stomach had started growling. Ori had blushed and looked so embarrassed that Kili had laughed, though he regretted it afterwards. Everything had been perfect all morning, but as soon as he'd laughed, Ori had retreated in his shell and the kissing had stopped entirely. They'd gone back inside to eat, try to ignore the way everyone was looking at them. Ori flinched when Kili tried to take his hand under the table, and the prince didn't insist.

It was a pleasant surprise when, after a few minutes, Ori shyly took Kili's hand, refusing to look at the prince but smiling nonetheless. They'd gone a long, long way since Rivendell.

“Do you want to try your bow this afternoon?” Kili suggested, before chuckling. “Maybe this time we'll _actually_ manage to do it.”

Ori's smiled turned into an amused grin then, and it made him so handsome that the prince almost kissed him right there and then, in front of everyone.

“We have been interrupted every time, haven't we?” Ori noted. “Maybe I'm not meant to learn at all. Maybe I'm fated to be so terrible at it that it'd be dangerous, so the universe is trying to prevent it.”

“Nonsense. With what you can do with that slingshot, you are going to be terrific with a bow, I just know it.”

The other boy looked at him as if he didn't believe a word of that but didn't want to risk an argument, and it broke Kili's heart a little. He didn't like it when Ori dismissed compliments, but he liked it even less when Ori looked like he couldn't fight against what he thought to be lies.

“Come on, finish your cake and let's go back outside!” Kili said, squeezing Ori's hand gently. “It'll be fun, you'll see.”

 

It was fun, it really was. Ori learned fast, and he was determined to do things right... he looked so confused whenever Kili tried to caress him while correcting his position that the prince soon stopped it. He'd offered to teach Ori, and this was a perfect occasion to prove that no matter what Dori had grumbled when they'd left together, sex wasn't all that he wanted from the scribe.

It was nice to just be like this, and have Ori enjoy himself... it was wonderful to see him slowly forget that he'd decided he'd be terrible at this, watch him gain confidence every time one of his arrows hit the target, repeating the motions again and again until his arms must have been aching. After a few hours, Ori's aim started decreasing, and Kili quickly suggested that they call it a day.

“Your hands are shaking!” the prince exclaimed in horror. “Doesn't it hurt?”

“A bit,” Ori admitted, looking away guiltily. “I'm sorry, I really am, I just wanted to try to be good... I'm fine really, it doesn't hurt so much. I've had worse when I started my apprenticeship.”

“I bet you did,” Kili grumbled, taking one of Ori's hands in both of his to gently massage his wrist. “Didn't anyone ever tell you that you're supposed to stop when something hurts?”

Ori shrugged silently, looking down like a child being scolded.

“We'll see how you are tomorrow, but I don't know if it'll be wise to train again,” Kili sighed, taking Ori's other wrist to massage it too. “I think you're going to hurt a bit, and you might do some real harm if you push yourself too much.”

“Sorry.”

“Don't be. It's my fault too. I'm more used to training than you are, I should have stopped you long ago... but you looked so happy, I didn't want to ruin that.”

At last Ori looked up, staring at Kili with wide eyes and a blush on his cheeks. For a second, the prince thought that Ori was going to protest, but instead the scribe kissed him. It was barely a peck at his lips, but it still left Kili breathless because it was the first time Ori was kissing him.

“It really was fun,” Ori whispered. “I really liked it. You're a good teacher.”

“Only because you're a good student,” Kili retorted, and it would have taken a stronger dwarf than him not to kiss Ori again.

He knew they should be taking things slower than this, he knew that a proper courtship shouldn't have happened like this... there were rules, they shouldn't have been kissing yet, not for months... and rules were important, but the taste of Ori's sighs against his lips mattered more. Kili knew he should have stopped, because he didn't want Dori to be right about him. He wanted Ori, wanted to make him moan and sigh, wanted to kiss every part of him again and again, but he knew he couldn't. Not yet, not until he'd proven everyone just how serious he was about it all... but kissing Ori was still addictive and now that he'd started, he simply couldn't stop. Not until they heard Thorin's voice calling for them from the house, reminding them that they all had to stay indoors at night.

“I didn't even notice it was sunset,” Ori mumbled as they walked back toward the building, their bows in hand.

He looked relaxed, even if his hands were still shaking, and happier than Kili had ever seen him. So happy, in fact, that the prince couldn't resist stealing another kiss before they joined the others.

And then they were inside, and all Dori had to do was glare their way, and Ori was back to his fearful, suspicious self. It would take a lot more than a few kisses and compliments to make the scribe confident around others, Kili knew, and he _should_ have been happy that Ori did open up around him now... but it still made him angry that the most _perfect_ dwarf in the world had been driven to have such a low opinion of himself.

At least, neither Dori nor Nori said a single bad word to their brother. They ignored him entirely, as if he didn't exist... or at least, Dori did. Nori smiled at him once or twice, but Ori didn't seem to notice it, focused as he was on his plate.

Dinner was over quickly, and afterwards they all gathered around the fire to sing and tell stories. Gandalf gave them some news of their host, who appeared to have disappeared, and Bofur, feeling particularly merry thanks to the food and drink, started a tavern song in which they all joined him, even Thorin.

No one seemed to _mind_ that Ori was snuggled against Kili's side, or at least they didn't say anything. Dori did glare a lot, and Fili rolled his eyes every time he met his brother's gaze, but that didn't really count, the young prince decided. They could grumble all they wanted, as long as Ori wanted him by his side, he was happy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write the boys making out and getting carried away  
> but then Kili informed me that it wouldn't happen because he wasn't going to do the do with someone who doesn't realize that pain means you should stop whatever it is you're doing.

**Author's Note:**

> Someone on tumblr suggested I write "Kili teaching Ori to use his bow" (probably not the exact words, but something like that) and I wanted to write the fluffiest of all things, but then this happened instead.  
> But I swear the baby dwarves will get their happy ending, and that Ori will learn that the others see him as a one of them, young or not.


End file.
